


A Pint at the Flying Fox

by Small_Hobbit



Category: Lewis (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-10-25 03:47:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17717465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Small_Hobbit/pseuds/Small_Hobbit
Summary: Band night has been postponed, but Robbie is surprised James wants to go for more than just a drink.





	A Pint at the Flying Fox

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elrhiarhodan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elrhiarhodan/gifts).



“Do you fancy a pint?” Robbie Lewis asked.  “No, wait a minute, it’s your band night tonight, isn’t it?”

“Actually, I do,” James Hathaway replied.  “Band night’s been postponed until tomorrow: two of the members can’t make it, so it made more sense to change the night.”

“Excellent,” Robbie said.  “Where do you want to go?”

“If you were up to having food as well, we could go to the Flying Fox.”

“Good plan.”

Since the Flying Fox was in walking distance of Robbie’s new flat, James drove home and then Robbie picked him up.  James would either get a taxi back later or stay over in Robbie’s spare bedroom.

Once at the pub they ordered their food, and then carried their pints to one of the tables.

“Go on then,” Robbie said.  “What’s on your mind?”

“A case that has leads that take us in all the wrong directions.”

“You didn’t suggest we go somewhere to eat just because our current case is full of less than co-operative witnesses.  If that was the case, we’d both be putting on far too much weight.”

James laughed.  “So, what makes you think I’ve got something on my mind?”

“You want to talk something over, and it’s not anything quick, like what to buy Laura for her birthday next week, because we could have discussed that just over a pint.”  Robbie looked carefully at James.  “If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say it was to do with the band.”

“An impressive deduction, Detective Inspector.  And yes, you’re right.”

“Go on then.  Two members can’t make band practice, why not?”

“Mark’s in Exeter for his work.  Nothing unusual there, he goes down most weeks.  Generally, he’ll avoid being away band night, but sometimes he can’t help it.  It’s not as if I make it every week either.”

“The perils of thoughtless criminals imposing on your plans,” Robbie agreed.

“But Simon announced on Sunday he wasn’t coming.  He didn’t give any reason, not that he has to, of course, but even Tim doesn’t know why, and Simon and Tim have been friends for many years.”

“A difference of artistic temperament?” Robbie suggested.

“Not that anyone’s aware.  We played a small gig Sunday afternoon which went well.  And then, as we were leaving, Simon said he wasn’t coming on Thursday.”

“So, it was sudden?”

“Yes, definitely.  Especially since Mark had mentioned earlier in the afternoon he wouldn’t be coming.  The logical thing would have been for Simon to say he couldn’t make it either.  And if he had done so, I don’t think it would have struck me in the same way.”

Robbie thought for a moment.  He looked up and saw a waitress holding two plates of food, looking around uncertainly.  He waved her across to them.  Once she had left, he said, “Presumably something happened at the end of the gig.  Did you pack up and leave immediately after you stopped playing?”

“No, most of the others talked to some of the audience.  I didn’t know anyone, but Simon and Tim certainly did.  I’m not sure about Mark, but I think Chris did too.  Which would imply it was something that was said then.”

“That would be my assumption,” Robbie agreed.

James turned his attention to his steak pie.  Robbie did the same, knowing James would be thinking back to the afternoon and trying to recall who his friend had been speaking with.

Finally, James said, “I’ve got it.  There were a couple there, I’ve seen them at one or two of our recent gigs.  They had Simon cornered.  The room was fairly crowded, so I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but in hindsight it does seem suspicious.  And there’s something else …”  James screwed his face up in concentration.  “Got it.  The woman was at the college we visited yesterday.  Simon works there too.”  James looked directly at Robbie.  “He was being warned off having anything to do with me.”

“You don’t think he’s involved, do you?”

James shook his head.  “No.  It’s a big college and our investigation only touches part of it.  But given how unco-operative they’ve been, I suspect they don’t want any gossip being leaked to me.”

“They’re certainly hiding something.  I think we should follow it up tomorrow.  Would you be happy to speak to this woman, or would you prefer it if I were to do so?”

“I shall be very happy to go in with, ‘Didn’t I see you at our gig last weekend?’  I don’t like my friends being threatened.”

Robbie nodded.  “Excellent.  I have a reasonable bottle of red at home.  How about we go and open it and do some planning for tomorrow?”

 

 


End file.
